What are LED Parking Lot Lights?

LED Parking Lot lights are an outdoor lighting fixture designed to light up outdoor parking lots, car parks, and other large outdoor areas. They are a paramount lighting option for public safety and creating a safe, well-lit outdoor space. They are also a common fixture used to light up outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, and pickleball courts. Power ranges from 100 Watts to 500 Watts, and they are available in 3000K, 4000K, and 5000K color temperatures. Standard voltage (100-277V) and High Voltage (277-480V) are available. Like all LED Lights, Commercial LED Parking Lot Lights are known for their energy efficiency with savings of 50% or more over Metal Halide and HPS street and parking lights.

LED Parking Lot lights are control-ready. Most can be equipped with photocells for dust-to-dawn operation. Some can be equipped with motion sensors so the lights can dim when no activity is in the area.

How to Choose the Right LED Parking Lot Light Fixtures

The following factors can impact the right fixture for your needs:

• Light Level Required. How bright do you want it to be? What are your desired light output and illumination levels you need?
• Mounting Height. What is the height of your light poles? This can range from 10 to 50 feet in height.
• Mount Type. Slip fitter or pole mount.
• Voltage Required. 100-277V or 277-480V.
• Fixture Color. We stock traditional bronze and white.
• Are Photocells or Motion Sensors Required? This can impact availability and cost.
• Commercial Grade. High-Performance Quality Commercial Lighting
• Cost Preference. There is a cost scale based on performance, quality, and warranty – Good, Better, and Best.
• How quickly is it needed? We have many in-stock options.
• Color Temperature. Choose between 4000K and 5000K
• Optics / Beam Spread. The most common are Type III and Type V.

What LED Parking Lot Light Is Best for You?

250 Watt Equivalent LED Parking Lot Lights	These LED parking lot fixtures are designed to replace 250 Watt Metal Halide and High-Pressure Sodium. They range from 40 to around 100 Watts. They produce up to 15,000 lumens
400 Watt Equivalent LED Parking Lot Lights	These LED parking lot fixtures are designed to replace 400 Watt Metal Halide and High-Pressure Sodium. They range from 100 to around 200 Watts. They produce up to 30,000 lumens
1000 Watt Equivalent LED Parking Lot Lights	These LED parking lot fixtures are designed to replace 1000 Watt Metal Halide and High-Pressure Sodium. These 300-watt + LED fixtures produce between 30,000 and 60,000 lumens.
Dimmable LED Parking Lot Lights	These dimmable parking lot lights are equipped with a dimmable LED Driver. The drivers are typically 0-10V or 1-10V trigger dimmable and work with a 0-10V dimmer. Dimmable LED Parking Lot Lights work well with motion sensors that allow the parking lots to dim when the area is void of movement.
Parking Lot Lights with Photocells	Photocells allow for the automatic control of turning on the lights at dusk and turning off the fixtures at dawn.
Parking Lot Lights with Motion Sensors	Parking lot lighting is available with a microwave motion sensor option. Microwave motion sensors are a newer technology not affected by dust or dirt. Motion sensors need to be installed on a parking lot light with a dimmable LED driver.
Color Adjustable LED Parking Lot Lights	These parking lot lights have onboard toggle switches that allow you to choose the color temperature. Typical options are between 3000K and 5000K. 3000K is a warm inviting light where as 5000K is a light that resembles the color temperature produced by metal halide bulbs. 3000K is a good replacement for high-pressure sodium lighting.
Wattage Adjustable LED Parking Lot Lights	These parking lot lights have onboard toggle switches that allow you to choose the power output. This allows you to select the optimal light output even after the light is installed.

Benefits of LED Commercial Parking Lot Lights

There are many. Here are a few based on our 10+ years of experience.

1. Energy savings: LED Lights are energy efficient and you should expect upwards of 50% reduced costs over traditional outdoor lighting fixtures.
2. Less maintenance: HID (Metal Halide) bulbs need replacing at around 15,000 hours. At 1/2 life, they have lost 1/2 of their lumens. So for those who need bright light (sports fields), you may be replacing bulbs sooner than you think.
3. Instant On – Instant Off. No long start-up/strike times with LED.
4. Works well with motion sensors and photocells. Because they can turn on and off quickly, they work well with these energy savings controls.
5. Dimming: Some LEDs (not all) can dim. For commercial parking lot lights, this means you can lower the light levels when the lot is empty. Works perfectly with dimming motion sensors.
6. Light pollution: Control using back shields and optics designed to send all the light down and not into the sky.
7. High-Quality lighting: High CRI and long life produce better lighting results.

LED Lumens to Replace a Metal Halide Parking Lot Outdoor Lighting Fixture

Here are some replacement guidelines to follow:

• 250-Watt HID / Metal Halide:  9,000 – 12,000 LED lumens
• 400-Watt HID / Metal Halide: 15,000 – 25,000 LED lumens
• 1000-Watt HID / Metal Halide: 35,000 – 50,000 LED lumens
• 1500-Watt + HID / Metal Halide: 50,000 – 90,000 LED lumens

Need Help? Talk to an LED Parking Lot Light Expert.

With so many options and fixtures available, it's hard to decide what option is going to meet your needs and requirements. The sales engineers of LED Lighting Supply are experts in LED Parking Lot Lighting. Use our experience and tell us your needs, and we will provide you with the best LED Parking Lot Light options for your project or application. We can provide you with a free lighting plan to make sure the area is well-lit and the lighting is balanced.

Completed Commercial Lighting and Industrial Lighting Projects using LED Lighting Supply LED Parking Lot Lights

LED Parking Lot Light FAQ

What Types of Lights are in Parking Lots?

You can find several types of lights including

• pole-mounted shoebox lights
• pole mounted flood lights
• post top lights
• wall packs mounted on building facades

How Much Does Parking Lot Lighting Cost?

Depending on the need and requirements, LED Parking Lot Lights can be as low as $150 per fixture for the lights designed to replace 250 Watt Metal Halide and up to $500 per fixture for a light designed to replace 2000 Watts Metal Halide

What are the Standard Parking Lot Light Levels?

For a well-lit parking lot, we recommend at least 5 foot-candles. It's important as well to make sure the light is balanced across the parking lot

How Many Lights Are Needed in a Parking Lot?

The best way to determine the number of lights is to do a lighting plan. No one answer fits all that can safely recommend the right number of parking lot lights.

How Are Parking Lot Lights Controlled?

Without getting into elaborate control systems, the best controls are

• Photocells: turns the parking lot light on at dusk and off at dawn
• Motion Sensors: turns the light to full output when motion is detected and can dim / turn off the light when the area is void of motion

How Tall Are Parking Lot Lights?

Typical mounting heights are 15 ft to 40 ft. It is very common to see parking lot lights mounted at 20-25 feet.

How Much Do Your Parking Lot Lights Cost?

It depends on a lot of factors/features that meet your requirements. There is a cost scale based on performance, quality, and warranty – Good, Better, and Best.

It’s best to qualify your requirements with us and we will identify the cost options. We show pricing on all our lights above, and we do offer contractor / large quantity discounts.

Do You Sell Light Poles for Parking Lot Fixtures?

We do sell light poles for parking lots. Our poles can accommodate 1 to 4 LED street lights and LED shoebox lights (depending on the pole type and EPA rating for your area). We can ship our poles to most locations in the lower 48 states.

What are LED Retrofits for Outdoor Parking Lot Lights?

LED Retrofits are kits that allow you to convert an existing parking lot fixture over to LED. If the fixtures are in good shape, a retrofit can be a great option. The kits contain everything you need to replace the internal lighting components.

Retrofitting is about as challenging to an electrician as an HID bulb and ballast replacement. Instead of replacing the old bulbs and ballasts with new ones, he is substituting in our retrofit kits.

What's the Best Way to Install Outdoor LED Parking Lot Pole Lights?

There is no difference between installing LED lights and Metal-Halide / HPS lights. Any qualified electrician can work on the electrical wiring and installation. They will need access to a boom truck or lift. They go through the process of removing and replacing the lights. Because of the heights involved, it is best to use a qualified electrician for this process.

What are the Best Optics for Parking Lot Light Distribution?

There are five basic types of optics, designated Type 1 to Type 5. These are common in both LED Roadway Lighting and LED Area Lights. By far the two most common are:

• Type 3: This distribution is designed for the parking spaces and general roadway areas. They are higher than Type 2 but not as wide. It’s the perfect choice for lighting on the edges of the parking lot area.
• Type 5: This distribution is circular. It generates the same amount of light in all directions. It works great for spaces that need a lot of balanced lighting. It’s ideal for poles mounted in the center of parking lots.